Chapter 21

The Message

Helicopter rotors beat a cadence through the air, lost amidst the screaming and panicking. Smoke obscured the sunset sky, signaling the end of the day. Commotion was drowned by the returned ringing, and Meredith felt bile rise in her throat. She wanted to hurl at the horrific sight, but she clutched to the hilt of her blade, pulling herself up. One of the voices heard was Amelia, issuing orders in a faint undertone. The loudest voice, however, was Chapman’s, his frazzled face appearing on screen, shaking. Masters was still next to him, chained to the table by anti-magic handcuffs, and the familiar face of Carlton directly behind him.

“B-breaking news: the tier of mazes has fallen, burnt up, as if to signal the end of the Alliance Games, a potential declaration of victory,” Chapman uttered, though every word sounded like he wanted to cry. He was shaking, his voice warbling, and the camera trained upon him further revealed the shackled world leaders. “This is the doing of the Renegades, who have officially made to take the stadium hostage. Someone, help us!”

His cries fell on deaf ears, at least for those in the crowd.

Meredith grunted, pulling herself up amongst the wreckage and nearly falling into a hole in the ground, the result of Carlton’s work to get to the top box. Another groan indicated she wasn’t alone. A burst of wood and ash later, and Conrad was revealed, his multiple clones covering Autumn, Brynn and Felix.

“That was…everything I had…” he said, his breathing labored before he rolled to the side. His clones vanished, and he passed out. Autumn recovered the swiftest.

“Conrad! Conrad!” She was in tears, shaking her friend, but he didn’t move. “Come on, you have to get up!”

“Autumn, get him out…take him to safety…” Felix said, himself groaning. He was barely able to stand, but he did so, offering a hand to Brynn. She took it, hoisting herself to her feet. On the other side of Meredith, Vivian and Eddie were supporting one another. “We’ve got this here.”

“Felix…”

“Just go!” He was angry; angrier than he’d ever been, with all of it directed at Rico. Autumn didn’t hesitate to listen, hauling her friend up and dragging him away, towards the halls and corridors. Meredith watched them go, flicking her eyes up to where the Renegades had gathered in numbers. Her stomach nearly dropped at realizing her parents were there, bound.

“Mera, you all right?” Eddie asked. She wasn’t sure, shaking her head and biting her lip to prevent unbidden tears. Her fist clenched tighter on her blade, and she yearned to step forward, forcing her body to make that move.

“We look like crap…” Vivian said. One of her sleeves was burnt off, but she appeared fine, if shaken. “Is this what he meant…? Is this what you meant, Renegade idiot?!”

All eyes of those who remained on the arena floor turned to Rico. The leader of the Renegades held his spear at his side, his prone body inviting challenge from them. There was no mirth in his eyes, nor pleasure he was deriving from all of this. Meredith could hear herself swallow, recognizing the same burning eyes of hatred from before the events at the alchemic settlement.

“This is the only way.”

His voice echoed, transmitting across all the screens in the stadium, and very likely beyond. Meredith glanced up, the helicopter coming too close to the stadium for comfort. One of the people there was pointing a camera straight down at them, and the wind from the unstable chopper caused him to lose his sunglasses. It was James.

“You planned this from the beginning…” Meredith said. She inched forward, and she wasn’t alone. “You wanted to take everyone hostage. Send your message to the world when you knew everyone would listen. No…you were going to force them to listen by infiltrating every part. Why, Rico?! Why would you cause such pain? The very thing you said you were against!”

“Because of our pain.”

“Shut up!” Vivian yelled, her arrow nocked and sent flying before Rico could get another word in. She wasn’t going to talk, and Rico didn’t seem to care. He swiped his spear, blocking the attack. That was the signal, and Brynn ran forward.

Boiling water appeared as orbs in her hands and she chucked them at their foe. Eddie followed suit, only his were pointed icicles. Felix took to the air. Meredith watched, trying to perceive the man’s soul, but failing to once more.

There was only one answer for that.

Meredith hesitated no more. She stabbed downward, the tip of the Earth-Splitter touching the ground. Snapping jaws of earth radiated from that spot, on a course for Rico. He gripped his spear, and it transformed, turning into the familiar two scimitars before he sliced through the incoming projectiles. Like Maria before him, he then used his weapon as a vault over Meredith’s attack, this time going for Brynn.

The leader of the Home Guard moved quickly, ignoring the gasps and cries from the crowd. Her knives embedded themselves in the ground and she slapped down. “Bubbling Geyser!”

The heated water burst upwards, catching Rico in its drift. “Freeze!”

Eddie’s combined assault began to freeze the water in place, capturing Rico within it. He was unable to move, his blades stuck in place. Meredith and Vivian acted in concert. The blonde maxed out her enchantments, every movement shaking as she nocked another arrow. She fired and it pierced the frozen geyser. At the same moment, Meredith sent a rising spiral of stone to strike Rico in the stomach.

He flew upward, right towards a waiting Felix.

“Soul Syphon: Wind Burst.” Meredith’s worst fears were confirmed. Eddie dropped to his knees once more, and Felix fell. Brynn ran for him, barely able to catch the boy before he hit the ground. Rico screamed, twirling his blades. From them came a cavalcade of wind, made of a stronger gale than any Meredith had seen. Her feet began to lift off the ground until she jabbed her blade in. Vivian emulated her, the two barely holding on.

Eddie flew back, trying to create his own cushion, but failing against the wind that Rico was generating. He slammed into the stadium walls, giving a cough when he slid down. Brynn and Felix didn’t travel as far, permitting the young woman the chance to stand again. Rico landed without incident.

“RICO!” Meredith screamed. Her veins were beginning to boil. Her body swelled with indignation. The Earth-Splitter was roaring, Terrill’s fury exploding inside of it. At Meredith’s side was Vivian, her bow-now-sword shining with its own wrath. Rico’s blades snapped back together into a spear, waiting for the girls to approach through that short distance as Meredith leapt. She couldn’t stop the enraged tears from pricking her eyes. “Why?! You have it, too! So why?!”

With as much force as she could muster, Meredith swung her blade down, and Vivian jabbed forward. All three weapons were on a collision course with one another.

Time slowed, just for a moment, but enough for Meredith to sense what was about to happen.

Three titans appeared, not in stature, but in strength. Meredith felt her eyes forced wide open from the sheer power emanating. Rico and Vivian held the same reaction, with confusion knitted into Vivian’s brow, seeing something so strange for the first time. Meredith saw something for the first time, as well: Terrill, wielding his own blade as he brought it crashing against a young man with a sword and an older man with a spear. All three were crying.

The attacks connected, and a shockwave traveled out. They fell backwards, landing on their backs as the walls of the coliseum cracked from the sheer power. Meredith looked to the Earth-Splitter, wondering if Terrill could explain what had just happened, but Rico was pulling himself to his feet.

“Was that it? A clash of Legendary Weapons?” he asked. Meredith’s eyes found Vivian’s, the two gasping at the realization of what was in Rico’s hands. “Did you think it made you strong? Is that what the Corps looks for in Guardians?!”

“Shut…up…” Vivian said. She was pulling herself up, and Meredith was joining her.

“Then prove me wrong!” Rico yelled. All eyes were on him, except for the Guardians in the crowd. Amelia could be seen shouting, kicking some Renegades back, but was careful to not hit the citizens. Some of the Guardians called in were rallying around her, but many more, those that hadn’t yet been bound, were running for the exits. “You see it, don’t you? The way they all run. Perhaps they have strength or wits, but when it comes time to help the people in need, they run like cowards.”

“And what the hell does that make you?” Brynn’s shout took him off-guard. She ran into his blind-spot, her water pouring from her hands to spring her forward and jab a knife into his free arm. “You attack the people, break the rules, and take everyone by surprise by sneaking your people in for hostages. The only coward here is you.”

Rico didn’t refute her. He just twisted around, his hand dropping his spear in time to grab her face and slam her to the ground, the already damaged structure being further cracked. Meredith raced forward. She didn’t care if the clashing weapons reacted again; she had no choice. Vivian was there, her sword as a bow again when she fired. The attack hit Rico, forcing him to back away. Brynn kicked up, but the man dodged, swiping his spear. He slashed out, impaling Brynn in the side.

“Brynn!” Meredith shouted. The girl reached forward, gripping the blade and holding fast.

“Now’s your chance! Show him who the real coward is…” She gagged, blood spurting from her side. Her teeth were gritted in pain, almost biting her tongue, but she didn’t move, and Rico was forced to let go of his weapon.

“Now, Viv!” Vivian fired again, leading Rico in his dodge. He sidestepped, right into Meredith’s path. She brought the sword down, and he skipped backwards, only to stumble over one of the burning branches. An explosion went off above, a cyclone of wind contained to a small sector. Some Corps members also flew backwards, their fleeing selves blocked by the invading Renegades. Meredith slashed again, causing Rico to bend backwards when she saw the shadow. “Go, Felix.”

“I’ve got him!” Felix descended, his wings sharp as needles and his foot slicing through the air for Rico’s exposed head. His lips were set in a grimace, a snarl, before he made contact.

He didn’t connect. Someone else intercepted him, kicking him in the chest and sending him sprawling on the ground. Meredith didn’t need to guess who.

“Emil…” Vivian growled. Her arrow aimed upwards this time. “You traitor!”

“I’m not,” he said in answer. Vivian didn’t care. She fired, missing him completely. The shot made the trapped audience scream in fear of being struck, but the attack fizzled before it could reach them. “Rico, you don’t have to say anything from here. They don’t need to be hurt for you to make a message.”

“So that was it…” Eddie was back up again, his body flaring with the elements of magic that his soul contained. He was no longer amicable towards the one that had taught him, helped him nurture that nature. “Every time we met you with the Renegades wasn’t chance. Every time you agreed with them wasn’t just a simple intersection of beliefs. You wormed your way in, made us trust you, made us care about you…and then you threw it away for this!”

“I didn’t-”

“You can…lie to yourself all you want…” Felix grunted. Meredith ran for him, helping him back up. He winced, and she could see some of the burns on his arms. “…but you have a lot of nerve lying to people you call your friends.”

“I’m not lying, Felix. I protected you. I made sure you-”

“You’re the one that let this happen!” Eddie screamed. “The Renegades…they got in through the desert, didn’t they? The same way we did! The only one who could have led them there was you! Take a look around you! Take a look at who they’re actually hurting, because it sure as hell isn’t us!”

“Eddie…”

“Hurt? He let this happen?” Rico pointed his spear at the enemies gathered before him. “No. He did nothing but provide information. The ones who let this happen was the Guardian Corps! The ones who left the Order unchecked! The ones who locked up the Beastmaster instead of destroying him! They are the ones who are hurting are every last one of us!”

“So you drag other people with you, making them feel your pain. You’re pathetic!” Vivian said. She nocked another arrow, but this time, Rico didn’t wait for her to fire. He blitzed forward. Above him, Emil faltered until Rico punched Vivian in the stomach. The force of gravity took over and she went flying, just in time for Eddie to catch her and knock them both back into the wall.

“The Corps are the pathetic ones!” he declared. His message went far and wide. “See them squabble! See them flee! Some may stand and fight, but when push comes to shove, they don’t wish to protect you! Only themselves! How long are you going to continue to praise and rely upon people who couldn’t give one whit about you?!”

The captive audience was stunned into silence, a trembling filling each of them. They couldn’t say anything, neither in surprise nor fear…because, Meredith realized, Rico wasn’t wrong. His Renegades had infiltrated the entire stadium and the Corps hadn’t done a thing. People were in danger. Her parents were in danger.

“Is he…is he right?”

“Guardians, can’t you help us? There are so many of you!”

“Remember what happened a couple months ago?”

Meredith stomped the ground. In her hold, Felix faltered, exhaustion beginning to overtake him. Brynn could barely move either, and with Vivian and Eddie out of action, it was left to Meredith to move forward. Emil floated forth to intercept her, but she sent a venomous glare at him before directing it at Rico.

“You’re wrong. Both of you,” she said. She held the Earth-Splitter forward. “The Corps ignored you. That might be true, but that gives you no reason to do this…not when you’re like me. Not when you can use Soul Magic, too, Rico.”

Confused mutters invaded the space between Meredith’s statement and Rico’s response. He watched her, and then he sighed.

“So, you know the burden we carry,” Rico answered. “You know the souls we hear crying out in pain. You know the souls yearning for more, and the cowardice and selfish interests that governs so many. Yet you condone the Corps. You let them carry on.”

“The world’s not just about me, you, or your pain, Rico!” Meredith said. The scream ripped at her throat, pain filling her as her Soul Vision uncontrollably helped her to see everyone around them. “It’s not our place to control others’ souls! To inflict wounds because of that knowledge! Because we don’t know what’s right any more than anyone else! If we do that…it makes us no different from the Reaper! From the Order!”

Whatever it was she had said caused something to snap in Rico. Emil fell this time and the leader of the Renegades flew at her. She lifted the Earth-Splitter, barely having time to block the immense pressure that Rico attacked her with. His eyes were full of unbridled rage, and he twisted his spear around. She tried to change her blade around, but missed, the man’s attack cutting into her shoulder.

“Don’t you ever compare us to the Order! Don’t ever say we’re just a band of wanton murderers!” Rico yelled. Meredith kicked at him, landing a solid hit on his stomach and driving him off. She gasped from the pain of the spear retreating, her shoulder bleeding. She slashed, only for her attack to be blocked. Another stomped foot and she sent stones sliding out. He dodged them. “I’m only saying what needs to be said, and no more. I’m only giving the world the wake-up call it needs!”

“Then find a different way to do it! Taking people hostage, forcing them to listen…if you want to change the world, you’re doing it the wrong way!” Rico’s face grew cold, but the rage still simmered at her words. She opened her mouth to speak more, only to feel heat and pain erupt across her face. “Ah!”

“Rico, stop it!” Emil’s cry was too late, and ineffective.

A gash appeared along Meredith’s cheek, slicing close to her ear from Rico’s quick jab of his spear. Her hair was tangled in it, and when he yanked the spear back, she screamed as her head was pulled with it, and half of her locks were sheared away. Then the butt of the spear flew out and rammed into her stomach. She spat, her eyes bulging with pain. The people gasped, but no one could do anything but watch.

Meredith, get up! Terrill insisted. She tried, her hand pressing at the cracked ground but slipping underneath the pain in her shoulder.

“There is no other way,” Rico reiterated. “This is what needs to be said. What needs to be done. Tomorrow, the world will be different, trial girl. So, stay down. Keep believing in your naivete. But we won’t let this go on.

“Farewell.”

“No…Rico…stop…it…” Meredith tried, her bones groaning and crying with every miniscule movement. Tears filled her eyes, pleading for him to stop this madness. “Emil, you have to…stop…”

Emil watched her a moment, at least until the cracks in the ground trickled up to his feet. “I’m sorry, Mera. I’m sorry. But he’s…he’s not wrong. He’s…” Emil sniffled, his own eyes clouded with tears that he tried to wipe away with his scarf. Meredith reached for him, trying to hope against all hope that she could reach Rico and Emil. That she could stop them. “I’m sorry.”

The ground plummeted under the force of gravity, the arena of the stadium caving in. Emil and Rico were floating above, neither watching as those who had stood against him fell. Meredith closed her eyes and her body gave out, falling into the abyss.